Piano pedal-action.



No. 736,675. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903. R. M. BENT.

PIANO PEDAL ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1903.

no 110mm.

fi %4, ATTORNEYK UNITED STATES Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PIANO PEDAL-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,675, dated August18, 1903.

Application filed March 16, 1903. Serial No. 147,915. (No m0del.)

To a, whom it may concern: v f I I Be it known that I,RICHARD M. BENT,acitizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, boroughof Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Piano Pedal-Actions, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pianos and analogous musicalinstruments; and the same has for its object more particu larly toprovide a simple, durable, and efficient pedal-action which will bepositive and smooth in its operation and obviate the squeaking andrattling which frequently results from continued use where thepedal-levers are supported and work upon fixed pivots in wooden blocks.

. These objects above set forth I am enabled to attain by means of myinvention, which consists in the noveldetails of construction and in thecombination, connection, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,wherein like letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is aview showing the lower portion of an upright piano, partly broken away,and disclosing a pedal-action made according to and embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig.1, and Fig.3 is an enlarged detail perspective'view showing the" construction ofthe springsupport or fulcrum and the manner of its securement to a rigidsupport and a pedal-lever.

In said drawings, A designates an upright piano of the usual generalconstruction, and B the base thereof, which is provided at the middle ofits forward edge with a recessed plate C, through which extend theforward ends of the pedals D D D the rear ends of which are pivoted inthe usual manner upon a rod 0., supported in blocks a.

E denotes a pedal-lever, which is secured to and supported intermediateits ends upon a spring fulcrum or support F, the inner end of saidpedal-lever E being connected to the pedal D near its inner or pivotedend by means of a rod G, the upper end of which is screw-threaded andpassed through an aperture in the inner end of said pedal-lever E andprovided with a nutH for adjusting the tension of the pedal D, while theouter end of said lever E is provided in its upper side with a recess inwhich is socketed the lower end of a vertical rod I, the upper end ofwhich contacts with a movable supportingrail, muffling attachment, orother attachment generally employed in pianos and op erated by means ofa pedal.

The spring fulcrum or support F is formed of an integral piece or stripof steel or other suitable material and comprises a base or foot-pieceI), having one end bent upwardly to form a Vertical member or standard 0and then bent outwardly and upwardly to form the semicircularspring-member d, which terminates in a horizontal member 6, whichextends inward and slightly upward, as shown, the base or foot-piece I)being provided with suitable apertures for the reception of screws,whereby said support may be secured to the rigid base B of the piano,and the horizontal member c is provided with similar apertures forscrews, whereby said support is secured to the under side of thepedal-lever E.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When not in use, theposition of the parts is as shown in the drawings, the pedallever Ebeing held in an inclined position with its inner end higher than itsouter end and the projecting end of its pedal D drawn up by thespring-support F. As soon as the projecting end of the pedal Disdepressed by the player the inner end of the pedal-lever E will be drawndownwardly and its outer end correspondingly raised and operatenoiselessly the connectedattachment through the rod 1. As soon asthepressure upon the pedal is released the spring-support F willimmediately return the pedal-lever E and connected parts to theirinitial positions.

It will be observed that owing to the novel yielding construction andform of the support F and the manner of its securement to the base B ofthe piano and the pedal-lever E said support F is subjected to a verylimited movement, and as the said support F yields from the junction ofthe base I) with the vertical member 0 the parts are not liable tobecome loose and squeak and rattle in consequence of continued use.

Without limiting myself to the precise details of construction, whichmay be varied within the scope of the invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S

1. A yielding fulcrum or support comprising a base, a vertical standard,and a curved member extending from the upper end of said standard,substantially as specified.

2. A yielding fulcrum or support comprising a base, a standard extendingupwardly therefrom, and a curved spring member extending from the upperend of said vertical standard.

3. A yielding fulcrum or support comprising a base, a vertical standardextending therefrom, a curved spring member extending from the upper endof said vertical standard, having an inwardly-projecting end,substantially as specified.

4:- A yielding fulcrum or support comprising a base, a vertical standardextending upwardly from one end thereof, a curved spring memberextending from the upper end of said Vertical standard, having aninwardly-projecting end extending beyond the vertical standard,substantially as specified.

5. A yielding fulcrum or support comprising a base having aperturestherein, a vertical member extending upwardly from one end of said base,a semicircular spring member extending upwardly and inwardly from saidvertical member, and having an inclined end extending inwardly beyondthe vertical member, substantially as specified.

6. In a piano, the combination with a pedallever and pedal connectedthereto, of aspringsupport, comprising a horizontal base portion adaptedfor securement to a rigid support, a Vertical member extending upwardlytherefrom, and a semicircular spring member extending from the end ofsaid vertical member, terminating in a horizontallyinclined end adaptedfor securement to the under side of the pedal-lever intermediate theends thereof, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York,in the county and State of New York,this13th day of March, 1903.

RICHARD M. BENT.

Witnesses C. AUGUSTUS DIETERIOH, F. SPENCER PERRY.

